Fargo are quite rightly a legend in their German homeland, having been on the scene in that country off and on for an eye-watering forty plus years. Here they are, in 2021, on the second leg of a comeback trail that sees them sounding as good as they ever have, in the process producing one of the most downright listenable albums you’ll have come across in a while should you take the plunge and give it a whirl.

Incredibly accomplished musicians, longtime Fargoans Peter Knorn (bass) and guitarist/vocalist Peter Ladwig are joined again by Mob Rules tubthumper Nikolas Fritz on Strangers D’Amour; over the course of the album’s eleven tracks the trio cover every possible mood and facet of the hard rock spectrum, whether it be reproducing a slowhanded take on southern rock a la The Outlaws on Law of the Jungle or postulating on the feelings of Dogs locked in a death match for chewing rights (Gimme That Bone). Elsewhere they recreate a sound on Closer To The Sun that’ll have fans of UFO and Blue Öyster Cult salivating with pure glee. There quite literally isn’t a base these guys don’t have covered, and in Ladwig they have a guitarist who is versatile enough to take on the task.

The band’s default setting in 2021 is pretty laid back  – some might say virtually horizontal – so fans of Victory, the band Fargo semi-morphed into in the eighties, might be finding matters a bit light-on in the AC/DC-inspired stadium anthem stakes, but there are plenty of bands in 2021 alive and well making music for those tastes. There aren’t, however, many bands around like Fargo, and if they want to round out their days putting together gorgeous country rock like Dear Miss Donna Vetter than that’s more than fine by me…

Strangers D’Amour releases on June 25th.